Jerzees will offer sports, food, drinks

Downtown Athens will soon have a sports bar, grill and nightclub all under one roof.

Jerzees Sports Bar and Nightclub will open in mid-January with a full lunch and dinner menu, a full bar and, as its owners envision, a full dance floor. Construction crews have completely gutted what was The Last Call on Clayton Street, replacing it with an all-new concept and look.

“We want to create something that everyone can enjoy,” said Jason Cruz, co-owner of Jerzees. “Families can come in and watch their favorite games, and at night as the sports die down, we’ll turn into a nightclub.”

Cruz said he is confident that the establishment can serve two crowds, and he has the experience to support him. The Baltimore native has been in the nightclub and restaurant business for more than 20 years. Owners of struggling clubs often hire him as a consultant to rebuild their business, he said.

After several years on the road, Cruz was looking to start a new project in a place where he could settle down in for a while. His business partner introduced him to Athens in October.

“Athens is a lot different than other places,” he said. “Things that work at other places won’t work in Athens.

“Right now, we’re seeing what people want, like and are used to — we can’t tell them what to like, and they don’t care that we’re from the big city.”

Cruz cruised downtown looking for a gap in the market. He had an Irish pub or Mexican restaurant in mind, but those already exist. And while there are sports bars and restaurants and night clubs, Cruz couldn’t find a place that is all three.

“We wanted to keep with a sports bar theme that you could take your kids to on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon,” he said. “We’re going to do comfortable food — wings are a necessity. We want to come in with some really aggressive pricing and really good portions.”

Jerzees will serve wings, burgers, cheese steaks and personal pan pizzas. More than 20 TVs will ensure that games are visible from every table.

There will be no shortage of Georgia Bulldog tie-ins, Cruz added. He envisions framed murals, jerseys and different bits of memorabilia that tell the Bulldog story.

“Obviously, the Bulldogs are a huge franchise,” he said. “Really, they’re bigger than a lot of NFL franchises.”

On the other hand, Jerzees will have to build its own reputation in a location that has changed hands a few times over the last few years. Cruz chalked up those failures to poor concepts and a difficult bar design.

“When I first walked through here, this place was a mess — it wasn’t built for success,” Cruz said. “We’re going to work at this 100 percent until it’s absolutely perfect.”

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